Improvement in reed-organs



2 Sheets-Sheet I) M. l. MATTHEWS.

Reed-Organs. N0 148,480, Patented Marchio,1874.

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` l y CynwenYc'u UNITED STATES PATENT QEEreEo MASON J. MATTHEIVS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT 1N REED-enclins'.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. lllSJlO, dated March 10, 1874; applcetion tiled July 9, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mason J. Mnrrnnws, ofNew York city, in the State of New York, have invented certain Improvements Relating to Musical Instruments, ot' which the following is a speci'lication:

I have simpliiied the construction and made more compact an instrument, in which steel tongues with percussion action are `operated by the same keys which control the speaking of the reeds. And I have made important modificationsii'l the parts containing the reeds, and inducing the motion ofthe air to operate them; and, also, in the jacks and adjacent parts for striking the vibrators.

My improvements make it practicable to give the fullest volume of sound, succeeding instantaneously to a faint or whispering sound, without any sudden shock in the transition, and to allow all the music produced by the reeds to reach the ear while controlled perfectly in force, and allowing every variety of expression without the use of swell-lids.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention, it being understood throughout that the parts relating to the reeds not here fully described correspond to the ordinary long approved American instrument operated by the exhaust-bellows inhaling' air through the reeds.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section through the wind-chest and adjacent parts in the plane of one of the keys. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the end board removed. It is partly in section showing certain valves. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the interior immediately above the wind-chest. The two parts show the work at and near each end. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, showing the windpassages in the form of one long and one short trunk at each end.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

At each end of my instrument is provided a long and short trunk, I I', for air communica tion between the exhaust K, reservoir L, and wind-chest B, the arrangement of these parts at each end being counterparts one of the other. The long trunk I reaches from the under side of the wind-chest B to the upper face @trunks I I.

of the exhaust-board K. The short trunk I stands between the wind-chest B and the rcservoir support-board L in lthe same manner. rIhrough the .lower board of the wind-chest B are made openings 'it' communicating with the At the base of each trunk I are made openings through the support-board K to the exhaust K. At the base oi' each trunk I are openings into the reservoir L. An ordinary valve, t2, preserves the vacuum in the wind-chest B, produced by each downward movement of the exhaust K. Over the holes t l are mounted valves IV IV. Over each valve IV, and on the upper face of the windchest B, are mounted small cuckoo-bellows II"L IVZ, about the same size as the valves IV. A connection is made between these bellows IV1 IV l and the valves IV by links w. On the heel ot" each cuckoebellows is a bracket-lever, to?. Opposite each and near the back of the instrument is a round-faced lever, o2, working on a fulcrum-block, e, and having afiixed three metallic springs, el, oi' different lengths. The longest spring in each set is connected to the corresponding bracket-lever wI by a wire rod, w3. A single wire rod, w, reaches forward from the other end of the right-hand lever e2, Fig. 3, to the upper end of the longl fish-lever V1, which is pivoted on the windchest. rlhere are regulating nuts on each end ofthe wires w3 1o, In front of the shlever Vl is a bracket-lever, V2, which is centered on the case. Between this bracket-lever VYZ and the kneeboard IY is a connecting-rod, V3, so secured that it will not drop out of place. I term all these parts together my knee-expression apparatus.77 They are shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, in their normal position.

The function performed by eachpart is as follows: The wire rods w3 are so adjusted by the regulatingnuts that the tension of the longest spring in each set of three springs, el, pulls wide open its corresponding cuckoo-bellows IVl IVZ. It is important that the normal tension of each spring should be sufficient not only to raise the cuckoo-bellows IVl IVZ and the valves IV, but should also be strong enough to resist some ot' the suction power produced by the main bellows. IVhen the player blows er works the exhausting-bellows gently, the valves IV will remain wide open, but as the movement of the i'eet on the be made at will, and many of the parts may be used with good effect without the others.

Thus, the knee expression-action may be applied to any reed-organ with single or double trunks, or trunks and parts of trunks, and may be located in other parts of the instrument than those described.

Each cuckoo-bellows, and the action connceted therewith, may be operated by a separate knee-board, and the wind-chest can be divided into bass and treble compartments 5 or a single knee-lever may be mounted so as to be operated by the left knee-instead of t-he right knee.

In cases where the ordinary vertical bellows are used, the sound-board G2 may be attached to blocks reachin from the under side of the wind-chest B. In this case it would be necessary to lower the rail which carries the rollers over which the st-raps to bellows work.

The grooved rail a2 may be so constructed that the projection on it reaching upward may stand at such a distance from the ljack -heads as to allow of a movable piece passing between them, which, being operated by a stop, will throw the hopper-heads J away from the sh oulders j and thus effect uncoupling.

There may be five or a less number of octaves of the vibratory tongues.

The recd-pan S, with the tube-board and its several other attachments, as represented, may be hinged at its back edge, and provided with a wide iiexible connection of leather or analogous material, allowing` its front edge to rise and sink instead of its back edge, if lneferred. Such a chan gc will evidently increase the extent of the change in the relation of the parts when the pan rises or sinks. YV hen hinged at the front, as shown in Fig. l, the rising of the pan makes but a slight change in the relation ofthe levers s to the ordinary pallets.

By means of a board, B2, with its thin front edge extending along above the entire series of hammers, and its back edge hinged to the under side of the wind-chest by means of arms extending back at each end, so that the hinges stand some distance back in the instrument, suitable levers and connections, not represented, communicate motion to this board from an ordinary stop-draw at the top of the instrument. But it maybe worked by a stopaction from any other part, if preferred.

I claim as my inventionl. The trunks I and half-trunks I arranged relatively to wind-chest B, reservoir L, and exhausts K, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combined tube-board S and reed-pan S, suspended flexibly from the wind-chest B, as herein specified.

3. The escapement-shoulders j on the under side of the keys C, in connection with the jacks J J and the adjacent parts, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The springj, arranged as shown, relatively to the jacks J J so as to perform the double function, as herein set forth.

5. The grooved rail a2, in combination with the jacks J J', as specified.

6. The hammer-support strip al, arranged as shown, relatively to the jacks and hammer hinge-pieces d, so as to perform the double function of holding the jacks in their grooves, and forming rm supports for the said hammer hinge-pieces, as specified.

7. The hammers b2 and their connections, arranged in the plane of the narrowed wind= chest, as described and shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, for the purposes specified.

8. The stop-board B2, arranged relatively to the hammers b2 and dampers d3, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7 th day of July, 1873, in the presJ ence of two subscribing witnesses.

MASON J. MATTHEWS. lVitnesses:

WM. C. DEY, ARNOLD HRMANN. 

